7 Days Before Valentine – Series Review & Episode Guide

It is a week before Valentine's Day. Sunshine, also known as Sun, is shooting a drama. He feels self-conscious about his insignificant role. This struggling actor is hardly famous despite auditioning and booking small gigs. As filming wraps up, the crew invites him to a staff party on Valentine's Day. Sun declines the offer since he has already made plans with his boyfriend. He bought tickets for a romantic trip overseas.

Sun wants to surprise Rain with the vacation plans over dinner at the restaurant. Before their date, Sun visits a flower shop. The mysterious owner, Tete, runs this store. He also employs Jared, his assistant. Sun has thought of a unique romantic present. For the next seven mornings until Valentine's Day, he asks the flower shop to send a rose to his boyfriend. The owner claims this arrangement feels impersonal, so Sun changes his plans. Instead, he asks the store to deliver the flowers to his apartment. Sun will personally give the rose to Rain.

Sun and Rain meet at the restaurant for their dinner date. Sun surprises his boyfriend with the overseas trip. He has saved up a lot of money to purchase these tickets. However, Rain responds by breaking up with him. Rain has felt dissatisfied with their relationship for a while. The couple spent too much time apart, especially while Sun was filming the drama in recent weeks. Rain believes their romance has fizzled out.

After dinner, Rain's new boyfriend, Air, is waiting for him. Sun is upset and accuses his ex of cheating on him. As tempers flare, they get into a violent fight. Rain lashes out at Sun, calling him selfish and immature. He claims Sun is in love with himself and incapable of loving others. "Grow up and stop throwing fits!" Sun is heartbroken after hearing his ex-boyfriend's insults. He returns to the apartment, drunk and demoralized.

To Sun's surprise, a mysterious man awaits him at home. Q introduces himself as a "cupid reaper" who can grant wishes, but there's a wicked twist. Q gives Sun the magical power of destruction. Sun can eliminate anyone's existence from history for the next seven days. Each midnight, he gets to erase a person from the universe. Doing so will alter the timelines and memories. Without thinking, Sun already knows whom to eliminate. He wakes up the following day, shocked by the consequences of his reckless actions.

Imagine having the power to erase anyone from history. You say a name and wake up the next day as if that person never existed. 7 Days Before Valentine explores this innovative premise, intriguing me with all its possibilities. Unlike many BL dramas, the story focuses on morality instead of romance. The protagonist eliminates his opponents recklessly. Soon, he realizes the moral gravity of being an executioner. As each decision brings consequences, 7 Days Before Valentine delves into ethical dilemmas and introspection.

Despite a fascinating concept, the series is often slow and tedious. The lengthy narrative takes a while to get to the point. Before the meaningful events occur, there's plenty of unnecessary filler. From cryptic exchanges to random interactions, these trivial scenes have little significance besides occupying time. They prolong the plot's pacing to the extent that I feel bored. The series also has an issue of long-winded conversations. Instead of concise dialogue, the characters would ramble mundanely or speak abstractly. The more the discourse drags on, the less interested I become.

I wish I liked 7 Days Before Valentine better because the story is creative and sometimes compelling. Since every disappearance alters the timeline, the butterfly effect creates unexpected ripples in Sunshine's life. Some of the plot twists are exciting! This thought-provoking drama also tackles philosophical themes. It raises ethical questions about the power of deciding whether someone lives or dies, which mirrors similar real-world dilemmas. In addition, the series includes intelligent messages about relationships, politics, and life. I respond well to its social commentary.

The story emphasizes Sunshine's character flaws to explain why his ex dumped him. As the plot progresses, he becomes an increasingly unlikeable protagonist. Sun gets on my nerves with his pettiness, recklessness, and cluelessness. His decisions to erase certain people seem irresponsible, but he acts shocked and outraged by the repercussions. Sun's ignorance enrages me, so I root for his downfall. The series redeems him in the end, which works to some extent. Yet, we must endure so much frustrating behaviour before this dumbass learns his lesson.

Although Sun's actor (Atom) dazzles with his bright smile and divine physique, he falters during dramatic encounters. Some scenes, like the breakup in Episode 1, require a serious approach. Yet, his hamminess and hysteria turn the performances into a joke. Atom and his costar (Jet) tend to overact, trying too hard to force out emotions. I prefer more subtlety than overwrought theatrics. 7 Days Before Valentine is also quite angsty, especially in the second half. The bleak, excessive melodrama takes a psychological toll on my mood, making the series harder to enjoy.

7 Days Before Valentine improves during the last few episodes. With poignant climaxes and significant character growth, the series becomes more interesting. I like seeing Sun and Q strengthen their bond, albeit not enough. The couple's romantic connection is still underdeveloped. While the finale promotes positive messages, I have mixed feelings about the journey. Too much of the narrative is bogged down by dull filler and redundant dialogue. The story could be trimmed into eight episodes or less. Despite its creative potential, 7 Days Before Valentine bores me.